Owens Pottery Basics

What is Owens Pottery?

The J. B. Owens Pottery produced art ceramics in Zanesville, Ohio from 1896 through 1907.

Producing over 48 distinct lines in it's eleven-year run, the Owens Pottery was considered one of the "Big Three of Zanesville". Famous designers and decorators employed include Frank Ferrell, W.A. Long, John Lessell, and Charles Chilcote. Lines popular with collectors include Lotus, Utopian, Aqua Verde, Henri Deux, and Soudanese.

Collecting Owens pottery is not without challenges, as none of their many catalogs have ever come to light. Fortunately, those knowledgeable in identifying genuine Owens pottery can often find bargains at auction and thrift stores. Their wide range of lines provide opportunities to match nearly any decor, with prices well below the more well-known competitors of the time.

Owens art nouveau vase
Owens Pottery Retail Store

Where was Owens Pottery Sold?

Aside from the 40+ member sales force headed by George S. Brush, Owens Pottery had showrooms in all major US cities. There were five in New York, three in Boston, three in Chicago, three in Philadelphia, and at least one each in Baltimore, Pittsburg, and Portland, Oregon. There were likely others, and they actively exported to Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, New Zealand, and even the British West Indies.

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Owens Pottery, Unearthed
By Kristy McKibben, Rick McKibben, Jeanette Stofft, Marvin Stofft
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We highly recommend these books for collectors of Owens Pottery. They provide vast amounts of information about Owens Pottery and the most popular America Art Pottery companies. This website may receive compensation for qualified purchases of these books.